Post by Rhabuka on Oct 27, 2004 21:57:16 GMT -5
(As taken from Kyrinn and Mnemosys' Tower of Lore)
Although the high elves were the victors of the War of the Broken Crown, none of the parties involved was a winner. The Elven Empire of old was destroyed, leaving its political satellites in total disarray. Lives were lost, cities were ruined, and the elves, created as one race, where now split into three separate and distinct races: the high elves, or Koada’Dal; the wood elves or Fier’Dal; and the dark elves, or Teir’Dal. The three factions were spread over two continents—Tunaria and Faydwer—and were now deeply involved in the rebuilding of their civilizations.
Upon the conclusion of the war, the majority of the high elves returned to Tunaria. The city of Takish’Hiz, the first elven capital on Norrath, once again became the center of power for those elves loyal to their creator, Tunare. This magnificent city was located in the southern portion of the Elddar Forest, an immense woodland that covered over one-fourth of Tunaria. In tribute to the assistance they received from the wood elves in fighting the Teir’Dal, the high elves constructed the tree-city of Tethelin in the northern portion of the Elddar Forest, near the massive lake known as Winter’s Deep. Although a number of wood elves populated the city, the differences between the two races on Tunaria were very hard to distinguish.
A few high elves chose to remain on Faydwer, hoping to restore the glory of the Elven Empire. They built the city of Felwithe on the very spot where the emperor was slain during the war. The area in the Greater Faydark where Felwithe was constructed reminded the high elves of the Elddar Forest, quickly attracting more citizens from the mainland of Tunaria.
The wood elves had the easiest time rebuilding, as they were the last to enter the war and suffered the fewest losses, both in material and lives. Their capital, the tree-city of Kelethin, was also located in the Greater Faydark region of Faydwer. The city was virtually untouched by the ravages of war, which was quite significant, because less than a year after the conclusion of the War of the Broken Crown, the wood elves faced another conflict. The orcs, newly liberated from their ogre masters, were looking for a place to live. They split into three tribes, one of which, the Crushbone Clan, decided to make their home in the Greater Faydark. The wood elves made an attempt at diplomacy, but the orcs’ leader, Gharol, being dim-witted and belligerent, chose battle instead.
In their first encounter, the orcs suffered high casualties, falling prey to the skilled archers of the elves. The archers, positioned high in the trees, rained volley after volley upon the orcs, quickly sending them running. Although slow, the orcs were not stupid, and fared much better in their second meeting. This time, the orcs assumed a dispersed battle formation, with each soldier bearing a brand. As they approached the elves’ positions, they torched the forest, burning anything that would ignite. The elves in the trees were lost, as were acres and acres of the elves’ beloved forest. The elves were so dismayed with the orcs’ tactics that they later called the incident ‘The Great Burning.’<br>
Faced with a persistent enemy and the potential destruction of their homeland, the wood elves requested help from Felwithe. A young ranger named Edril rose to the challenge, bringing with him a company of high elf soldiers. Edril’s battle plan was simple: attack quickly and violently. The orcs, who were preparing for a final assault on the wood elves, were caught completely off guard. Edril’s company rolled through the orcs camp after camp, pushing ever onward to maintain the element of surprise. In fact, they moved so swiftly, they were nicknamed the Legion of Wind. Gharol never got word of the Legion’s coming, and he was soon faced with the wrath of Edril and his men. Although many soldiers died, the orcs were quickly routed. They eventually settled north of the Greater Faydark, away from the elves. Edril and his men returned as heroes, revered by the wood elves and high elves alike.
Of the three elven races, the dark elves suffered the worst. Having fled Faydwer with nothing, they were forced to build their new homeland from the ground up, or in this case, from the ground down. Preferring the security and seclusion of the dark spaces, the Teir’Dal built the underground city of Neriak on the edge of the Nektulos Forest in Tunaria. Hate for their light-skinned brethren spurned them on. King Thex assumed the throne and led the dark elves in plotting their revenge upon Tunare’s children.
With the Elder Age drawing to a close, the three elven races were well on their way to recovering from the devastation caused by years of fighting. It was this moment that Solusek Ro chose to visit his curse upon Tunaria. Whether motivated by jealously, revenge, or sheer spite, no one will ever know, but the Burning Prince marked Tunaria in a way that forever changed the destiny of the elves. Ro arched the spine of the Serpent Mountains, drastically changing the landscape of Tunaria. Rivers that once fed the lush Elddar Forest now changed course or dried up completely, leaving large portions of land vulnerable to the harsh rays of the sun that Ro himself created. The elves fought valiantly but vainly to save their homeland. Massive amounts of forest withered and died, turning into an arid desert. Soon, the southern two-thirds of the forest were gone, with only Takish’Hiz and a solitary outpost surviving. However, they too succumbed to the burning heat. The ruins of Takish’Hiz have yet to be found, but the remnants of the outpost can be seen at what is now known as the Oasis of Marr.
As their forest died, the elves moved continually northward, until the only two elven cities on Tunaria were Tethelin and Fayspires. However, the remaining forest was not enough to support the whole of the elven nation, so many opted to make the long and treacherous voyage to Faydwer. Felwithe became the new capital of the elven empire as the elves became the dominant race on Faydwer. The new immigrants were quite welcome, as the orcs continued to harass the towns and villages of the Greater Faydark.
The second age ended far differently for the elves than it started. Almost a third of their population was converted by Innoruuk, their once beautiful forest was changed into a desert, and they were forced to return to the site of their painful and costly civil war. Yet, with help from above, they worked diligently at preparing for the coming of the third age and the prophesied rise of the humans.
Although the high elves were the victors of the War of the Broken Crown, none of the parties involved was a winner. The Elven Empire of old was destroyed, leaving its political satellites in total disarray. Lives were lost, cities were ruined, and the elves, created as one race, where now split into three separate and distinct races: the high elves, or Koada’Dal; the wood elves or Fier’Dal; and the dark elves, or Teir’Dal. The three factions were spread over two continents—Tunaria and Faydwer—and were now deeply involved in the rebuilding of their civilizations.
Upon the conclusion of the war, the majority of the high elves returned to Tunaria. The city of Takish’Hiz, the first elven capital on Norrath, once again became the center of power for those elves loyal to their creator, Tunare. This magnificent city was located in the southern portion of the Elddar Forest, an immense woodland that covered over one-fourth of Tunaria. In tribute to the assistance they received from the wood elves in fighting the Teir’Dal, the high elves constructed the tree-city of Tethelin in the northern portion of the Elddar Forest, near the massive lake known as Winter’s Deep. Although a number of wood elves populated the city, the differences between the two races on Tunaria were very hard to distinguish.
A few high elves chose to remain on Faydwer, hoping to restore the glory of the Elven Empire. They built the city of Felwithe on the very spot where the emperor was slain during the war. The area in the Greater Faydark where Felwithe was constructed reminded the high elves of the Elddar Forest, quickly attracting more citizens from the mainland of Tunaria.
The wood elves had the easiest time rebuilding, as they were the last to enter the war and suffered the fewest losses, both in material and lives. Their capital, the tree-city of Kelethin, was also located in the Greater Faydark region of Faydwer. The city was virtually untouched by the ravages of war, which was quite significant, because less than a year after the conclusion of the War of the Broken Crown, the wood elves faced another conflict. The orcs, newly liberated from their ogre masters, were looking for a place to live. They split into three tribes, one of which, the Crushbone Clan, decided to make their home in the Greater Faydark. The wood elves made an attempt at diplomacy, but the orcs’ leader, Gharol, being dim-witted and belligerent, chose battle instead.
In their first encounter, the orcs suffered high casualties, falling prey to the skilled archers of the elves. The archers, positioned high in the trees, rained volley after volley upon the orcs, quickly sending them running. Although slow, the orcs were not stupid, and fared much better in their second meeting. This time, the orcs assumed a dispersed battle formation, with each soldier bearing a brand. As they approached the elves’ positions, they torched the forest, burning anything that would ignite. The elves in the trees were lost, as were acres and acres of the elves’ beloved forest. The elves were so dismayed with the orcs’ tactics that they later called the incident ‘The Great Burning.’<br>
Faced with a persistent enemy and the potential destruction of their homeland, the wood elves requested help from Felwithe. A young ranger named Edril rose to the challenge, bringing with him a company of high elf soldiers. Edril’s battle plan was simple: attack quickly and violently. The orcs, who were preparing for a final assault on the wood elves, were caught completely off guard. Edril’s company rolled through the orcs camp after camp, pushing ever onward to maintain the element of surprise. In fact, they moved so swiftly, they were nicknamed the Legion of Wind. Gharol never got word of the Legion’s coming, and he was soon faced with the wrath of Edril and his men. Although many soldiers died, the orcs were quickly routed. They eventually settled north of the Greater Faydark, away from the elves. Edril and his men returned as heroes, revered by the wood elves and high elves alike.
Of the three elven races, the dark elves suffered the worst. Having fled Faydwer with nothing, they were forced to build their new homeland from the ground up, or in this case, from the ground down. Preferring the security and seclusion of the dark spaces, the Teir’Dal built the underground city of Neriak on the edge of the Nektulos Forest in Tunaria. Hate for their light-skinned brethren spurned them on. King Thex assumed the throne and led the dark elves in plotting their revenge upon Tunare’s children.
With the Elder Age drawing to a close, the three elven races were well on their way to recovering from the devastation caused by years of fighting. It was this moment that Solusek Ro chose to visit his curse upon Tunaria. Whether motivated by jealously, revenge, or sheer spite, no one will ever know, but the Burning Prince marked Tunaria in a way that forever changed the destiny of the elves. Ro arched the spine of the Serpent Mountains, drastically changing the landscape of Tunaria. Rivers that once fed the lush Elddar Forest now changed course or dried up completely, leaving large portions of land vulnerable to the harsh rays of the sun that Ro himself created. The elves fought valiantly but vainly to save their homeland. Massive amounts of forest withered and died, turning into an arid desert. Soon, the southern two-thirds of the forest were gone, with only Takish’Hiz and a solitary outpost surviving. However, they too succumbed to the burning heat. The ruins of Takish’Hiz have yet to be found, but the remnants of the outpost can be seen at what is now known as the Oasis of Marr.
As their forest died, the elves moved continually northward, until the only two elven cities on Tunaria were Tethelin and Fayspires. However, the remaining forest was not enough to support the whole of the elven nation, so many opted to make the long and treacherous voyage to Faydwer. Felwithe became the new capital of the elven empire as the elves became the dominant race on Faydwer. The new immigrants were quite welcome, as the orcs continued to harass the towns and villages of the Greater Faydark.
The second age ended far differently for the elves than it started. Almost a third of their population was converted by Innoruuk, their once beautiful forest was changed into a desert, and they were forced to return to the site of their painful and costly civil war. Yet, with help from above, they worked diligently at preparing for the coming of the third age and the prophesied rise of the humans.